Governor for marine engines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) DJ'SWEENEY.

GOVERNOR FOR MARINE ENGINES. No. 400,416. I Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR'.

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9m t e e h S w e h S 2 v. E N E E W S D a d 0 v M o W GOVERNOR FOR MARINE ENGINES. No. 400,416;

Patented Mar. 26, 1889..

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WITNESSES:

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL SWEENEY, OF NEVARK, NE\V JERSEY.

GOVERNOR FOR MARINE ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,416, dated March 26, 1889.

I Application filed February 21, 1888. $erial No. 264,852. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL SWEENEY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Governors for Marine Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in deyices used to cut off the supply of steam to a marine engine when the Vessel pitches forward, thrustingher bow down into the water, thereby causing the elevation of the stern of the vessel and the lifting of the propeller out of the'water. The object in thus cutting off the supply of steam is to stop the working of the engine and the consequent rotation of the propeller when the same is lifted from the water by the movement of the vessel. This running away of thepropeller is often attended with very serious results to the engine and propeller, frequently causing the breaking down of the engine or the fracture of the propeller-blades. To control the movement of the propeller and to shut off the steam when the vessel pitches, a man is usually employed who stands with his hand upon a lever ready to shut off the steam when the propeller is lifted clear of the water. This method is productive of great hardship to the man employed to shut off the steam, and is, moreover, uncertainin its results.

My improvement is designed to secure an automatically-acting device operated by the movement of the vessel and which is positive and quick in its action, which can be adjusted so as to operate more or less quickly, according to the state of the weather, and which is simple in its operation and cheap in its construction.

v In the accompanying sheets of drawings is illustrated my improvement, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a marine engine and a boiler, showing one relation of my improvement thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved governor detached from its connection with the engine and boiler, showing the relation of the parts of said governor when the full volume of steam is allowed to pass to the engine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken centrally through Fig. 2. Fig. t is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing the relation of the parts of the governor and the position thereof when the supply of steam is shut otf. Fig. 6 is a section taken through x on the slotted guiding-arm in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the slotted quadrant and the top of the weighted lever. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken through y, Fig. 2. Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a front and side elevation of the devices employed to prevent the lifting of the valve.

In saidabove-described views,Adesignates a marine engine, of which a indicates the high-pressure and a the low-pressure cylinder, and B indicates the boiler in which steam is generated for the engine. In the pipe-connections between the saidboiler and the engine is arranged my improved governor,substantially as shown in Fig. 1, although as the relative positions of the engine and boiler 'vary it will be understood that the position of said governor is not limited to that shown in the drawings, it being essential, however, that the governor shall be so placed that the weighted lever shall swing in a line extending from the stern to the bow of. the vessel, so as to be affected by the movement thereof in pitching.

As shown more particularly on Sheet 2 of the drawings, the governor proper consists of a valve-box, O, to which is pivoted a swinging and weighted lever, d, having thereon, below the pivotal point e, an adj ustably-arranged weight, 'd. The valve-box O is provided with upper and lower steam-chambers, c and 0', between which is arranged the valve-seat 0 provided with slots or ports 0 therein, through which the steam passes from the upper to the lower steam-chamber, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. Moving upon the top of the valve-seat is a sliding valve, 0 provided with ports 0 therein, substantially as indicated in Fig. 3, et seqmlter. Projecting upwardly from said sliding valve is a lug, c, to which is secured the piston-rod 0 extending and moving through a stuffing-box, c and having a fork, 0 secured thereto. Bearings e and e are bolted to the valve-box on opposite sides of the piston-rod, and journaled in said bearings isa crank, 6 which passes between the tines of the fork, substantially as indicated. A plate, f, is secured to one end of said crank outside of one of the bearings, as e, and, as indicated, is provided with a curved slot, f, and a grasping bar or handle, f In the end of the swinging lever, above the pivotal point (1, is a slot, (1 and working in said slot, and 'adjustably arranged within the curved slot f, is a bolt or pin, (1, by means of which the movement of the swinging lever is communicated to the plate f and crank a and thence through the piston to the sliding valve.

To guide and direct the swinging movement of the lever D and to prevent any lateral movement thereof by the rocking of the vessel, I have provided a slotted arm, g, in which said lever swings, and adjustably secured to said arm are stops g and g by means of which the degree of movement of the swinging lever is limited or extended. Through the induction-pipe I steam is admitted from the boiler into the upper chamber, 0, of the valve-box, and through the eductionpipe E the steam escapes from the lower chamber, 0, into the engine.

The operation of my improved governor is as follows: The swinging lever is so set that it hangs in a vertical position so long as the horizontal position of the vessel is maintained, and is prevented from swinging in the direction of the arrow Z by the stop g or by the engagement of the sliding valve with the end of the chamber 0. hen the lever thus hangs in a vertical position and the vessel lies in its horizontal position in the water, the valve is open to its fullest extent, permitting the passage of the maximum quantity of steam to the engine; but when the bow of the vessel begins to descend and the stern to rise, the lever swings in the direction of the arrow Z, thereby causing the valve to begin to cover the steam-ports in the valve-seat, and by the time the vessel is inclined at an angle sufficient to lift the propeller from the water the movement of the swinging lever has caused the valve to entirely cover the ports in the valve-seat, thereby cutting off entirely the passage of the steam. Upon the attainment of this result any further movement of the lever and valve is prevented by means of the stop 9 so that no matter to what extent the propeller is further elevated above the water the cut off of the steam is maintained. As the stern of the vessel begins to fall, the lever begins to move in the direction of the arrow Z, and by the time the propeller has become immersed in the water the movement of said lever has opened the valve to its full extent, and the movement of the engine and pro peller is resumed.

While I have thus described the lever as swinging in relation to the valve-box, for convenience of description, the said lever really remains in a vertical position, while the valvebox moves, conforming to the degree of movement of the vessel. As thus operating, it will be apparent that the governor is very sensitive and responds quickly to any variationin the degree of inclination of the vessel, and is, further, entirely automatic in its action.

By means of the peculiar construction of the slotted plate f and the means employed for connecting the same to the end of the swinging lever, the movement of the valve may be decreased to any desired proportion of its full or entire movement, so that but a very slight movement of the lever acts to cut off the steam, and the ports are at no time open to their fullest extent. This is of great and particular advantage in rough weather or when there is a choppy sea" on, because under such conditions the propeller is more frequently lifted out of the water, and in 0011- sequence it is necessary that the supply of steam be lessened and the governor so set that it responds very quickly to the movement of the vessel.

To determine the relative position of the valve and valve-seat, I have provided an index, y on the guiding-arm g, and a pointer, 61*, on the swinging lever D, which indicates the degree of movement of the said lever 011 the index, and also the position of the valve. By loosening up the adjustable pin or bolt (1 the plate f may be so set as to decrease or increase the extent of movement of the valve, which extent of movement is indicated by the index f on the plate f, as shown in Fig. 7, and

the pointer (Z on the top end of the lever D. A slotted plate, h, having a roller, h, is adjustably secured to the side of the chamber 0, to prevent the lifting of the valve away from the valve-seat.

By means of the adj ustably-arranged weight (1, which is fixed in any desired position on the swinging lever by means of the set-screw (1 the power of said lever may be increased or decreased, as will be understood. A handle, (1, may also be provided at the lower end of said lever D, by means of which the same may be moved by hand, if necessary. The pivotal point of the swinging lever may be fixed at different points, according to whether power or quickness of movement in the lever is desired. An arm, g, may be secured to the valve-box, said arm being provided with adjustable stops g and g which may be adjusted so as to limit the movement of the lever and to prevent the entire cnttin g off of the supply of the steam from the pipe I, and thereby preventing the stopping of the engine, as will be understood.

Instead of cutting oif the entire supply of steam when the propeller is lifted out of the Water, the slotted plate f can be so set that the full movement of the lever when finished still leaves the valve slightly open, so that the engine moves slowly, to prevent the same from stopping on the center, and also to prevent otally secured to said valve-box, a crank coopera-ting with a fork arranged on said connecting-rod to move the same and the sliding valve, and an adjustable plate secured to said crank and pivotally and adj ustably connected with one end of said weighted lever, for the purposes set forth.

2. In a marine-engine governor, the combination of a sliding valve and a valve-seat provided with steam-ports therein, a valve-box in which said sliding valve and valve-seat are contained, a connecting-rod secured to said sliding valve and projecting and working through a stuffing-box on said valve-box, a fork attached to said connecting-rod, a crank engaging with said fork and j ournaled in suitable bearings, a slotted plate secured to said crank, a weighted lever pivotally secured to said va1ve-bqx and-provided with a slot in the upper end thereof, and connecting-pin adjustably secured inthe slotted plate attached to the crank and engaging with the slot in the end of the weightedlever, for the purposes 'set forth.

3. In a marine-engine governor, the combination of a slidingvalve, a valve-box, a pivoted and weighted lever pivoted to saidibox, a connecting-rod whereby the movement of said lever is communicated to said valve, said rod projecting and working through a stuffingbox on said valve-box, a fork attached to said rod engaging with a crank journaled in suitable bearings, and adjustable stops with which the said swinging lever engages, for the purposes set forth.

4. In a marine-engine governor, the combination of a sliding valve, a valve-box, a pivoted and Weighted lever pivoted to said valvebox, a connecting-rod secured to said sliding valve and projecting and working through a stuffing-box on said valve-box, a fork attached to said connecting-rod engagingwith acrank j ournaled in suitable bearings, a slotted plate secured to said crank, said plate having a handle thereon, the weighted lever being provided with a slot in the upper end thereof and a connecting-pin adjustably arranged in the slotted plate and attached to the crank and engaging with the slot in the end of the weighted lever, and an arm secured to said valve-box, having an indicator thereon and extending down along the path of the lever adjacent to a pointer on said lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a marine-engine governor, the combination of a sliding valve, a valve-box, said valve box being provided with a slotted plate having rollers adj ustably secured to the sides of said box, a pivot ed and weighted lever pivoted to said box and having a pointer thereon, connecting devices whereby the swinging movement of said lever is communicated to the valve, and an indicator on which the pointer on said swinging lever indicates the relative position of the valve to the swinging lever, said indicator being secured to said box and extending down along the path of the lever adjacent to the pointer, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of February, 1888.

DANIEL SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

FREDK. F. CAMPBELL, FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL. 

